Trying to show us that you know something about Beat history. Fine, you get a gold star. This comes from nowhere, though, and your willingness to toss it in here, apropos of nothing that's been said, tells us that you're flustered.

Has he bed you yet Waltz? Which writer is he extolling the virtues of at this time in his life - who did he wax poetic about in order to land you in bed?

You say later on in your post that you have no problem with others who take a contrary view on Kerouac, and yet here you spread your absurd slander to waltz n capsize, a very smart, opinionated and generally classy Fray poster with a gratuitous insinuation. You're starting to sound like the fabled SpiderMBA, who just couldn't help but speculate on the sex lives of his foes on the Fray.

The irony here, Ted - is, you have yet to offer a coherent, well written, thoughtful critique of Kerouac's writing. Just what, exactly, makes it so inferior? You haven't offered anything by way of literary criticism - just unoriginal, warmed over disdain for the beats.

My piece was as in depth a look at Kerouac as anything posted on the Fray, yay or nay, and it was sufficiently well -written and coherent enough to cause you noticable unease. And you've yet to deliver anything here approaching a plausible defense of his writing.

And, if you do not consider yourself on par with Kerouac - why bother writing at all?

My writing isn't the issue, and the many here who know me will tell you I never compare my own prose or poems with those I'm writing about. You, though, continue to bring up my writing in conspicuous attempts to change the subject from Kerouac's talent or lack there of. But,Kerouac to the side, why bother to write? Because I enjoy writing, I am a good writer, and I think what I have to say has value in this arena of ideas. Yeah, cliches joe, but have you tried exchanging ideas rather than insults? It doesn't seem like it here.

I have zero problem with someone not appreciating Kerouac's writing - I take issue with the self-satisfied, pompous way in which you declare it, this distaste.

You obviously do, since you've spent so much time here recycling your insults. And your dig at the likewise dissenting waltz n capsize offers more evidence that contrary views on Kerouac upset you and make you write and publicly post irrational things. It is a very good thing that you're not posting under your real name.

You come across as a boring, self aggrandizing jack-ass - the sort of blowhard you like, really, really do NOT want to get cornered by at a party.

If you don't want to get cornered by me at a party, why do you keep reading my posts? And yet you reading them, and you keep answering them as well. My writing is obviously not boring you.

That you actually had the temerity to dictate (to us.) what is and what is not literature speaks volumes.

Give yourself a break, joey.You have the same rights here as I do.You can display the "temerity" to start your own thread and likewise "dictate" (to us) what is and is not literature, and to extol Kerouac's style and greatness over all other writers.What I have is the nerve to give a definite opinion about this subject, one which you could have disputed with a defense of Kerouac's work and why it's important to you and yours. But you haven't done that.

"See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in 50 years you're going to start doing some thinking on your own and you're going to come up with the fact that there are two certainties in life. One, don't do that. And Two, you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a fuckin education you could have got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library."

You've a pronounced streak of anti-intellectualism in you, joe, which tells me that part of the way you have fun is in making as many enemies as possible. Is this a pathology of yours? Too bad. This bit of flailing Chayefsy ranting might play well to a crowd of similiar minds, but the fact is that my education was good, I did well in my studies despite my sometimes loathsome presentation of self, and that I make a good living with the knowledge and habits my area of concentration has prepared me for. My education, the acquisition of the literature degree, has served me well in the social area as well; while not a particularly high echelon mucky muck, I am known and I am friendly with a great many people who have considerable genius and credentials. That they talk to me, listen to me and respond to my questions and views thoughtfully speaks well of the worth of my education. The library and late fees could not have gotten me anything close to what I have.